![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZWZjNDgyZjktMjEzZC00NjAxLTgxMDYtZDY4M2Y5ZTEyY2RmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR56,0,500,281_.jpg)
Satranic Panic: "Dark Star Pictures is releasing renowned director Alice Maio Mackay’s Trans slasher/horror Satranic Panic On Digital and On Demand August 13, 2024.
A bloody, demon-infested road movie about the power of claiming one’s identity and the importance of chosen family, Satranic Panic exposes the hypocrisy of the status quo with biting wit, killer drag, and incredible tits.
Satranic Panic made its world premiere at SXSW’s inaugural edition in Sydney before heading to Panic Fest, Salem Horror Fest and more. Dread Central raved that the film is Maio Mackay’s “most ambitious story and style yet.”
At only twenty years old, Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay has already directed five feature films, including So Vam (2021), Bad Girl Boogey (2022), T Blockers (2023), Satranic Panic, and the upcoming Carnage for Christmas. As a transgender filmmaker, Maio Mackay uses camp and comedy to boldly queer the horror genre, crafting vibrant,...
A bloody, demon-infested road movie about the power of claiming one’s identity and the importance of chosen family, Satranic Panic exposes the hypocrisy of the status quo with biting wit, killer drag, and incredible tits.
Satranic Panic made its world premiere at SXSW’s inaugural edition in Sydney before heading to Panic Fest, Salem Horror Fest and more. Dread Central raved that the film is Maio Mackay’s “most ambitious story and style yet.”
At only twenty years old, Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay has already directed five feature films, including So Vam (2021), Bad Girl Boogey (2022), T Blockers (2023), Satranic Panic, and the upcoming Carnage for Christmas. As a transgender filmmaker, Maio Mackay uses camp and comedy to boldly queer the horror genre, crafting vibrant,...
- 8/9/2024
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzQzYWM4MzMtODNkNy00ODQwLWEyMzktOGVmMTBjOTdhZmZlXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
There’s some undeniable wisdom in that Mark Twain quote about writing what you know, and that’s likely the reason why some of the best films of all time are about filmmaking itself. This also applies to the horror genre, as we can see from beloved classics like Wes Craven’s New Nightmare and even The Blair Witch Project.
And in honor of recent meta horror flicks like MaXXXine and The Exorcism (not to be confused with The Pope’s Exorcist), we’ve decided to come up with a list celebrating 6 underrated Hollywood Horror Films that explore the dark side of show business.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining ‘Hollywood Horror’ as scary movies where filmmaking itself is a source of scares. That being said, we’ll be avoiding Found Footage movies since most of them are already exercises in meta storytelling.
With that out of the way,...
And in honor of recent meta horror flicks like MaXXXine and The Exorcism (not to be confused with The Pope’s Exorcist), we’ve decided to come up with a list celebrating 6 underrated Hollywood Horror Films that explore the dark side of show business.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining ‘Hollywood Horror’ as scary movies where filmmaking itself is a source of scares. That being said, we’ll be avoiding Found Footage movies since most of them are already exercises in meta storytelling.
With that out of the way,...
- 8/8/2024
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzRlZGM1MDktYmI3Ni00MDY5LTkzNTgtOTBkOTBhOGZlNTI2XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR19,0,500,281_.jpg)
To lead the next installment in the “Alien” franchise, Cailee Spaeny actually looked to other classic horror films to maintain a sense of terror on set.
Breakout “Priscilla” actress Spaeny told SFX magazine that while she did her best to convey being horrified during scenes for “Alien: Romulus,” she sometimes had to call in reinforcements to inspire fear.
“You do sort of run out of ideas. You’re like, ‘I don’t know how to be horrified again today in an interesting way. I’ve got, like, three facial expressions and you’ve seen all of them about 100 times now!'” Spaeny said. “Honestly, when you shoot a movie like this for months, and you’re doing so many horror beats, you do run out of ways to be horrified! The whole time I was making the movie, the second I got home I either had a sci-fi or a...
Breakout “Priscilla” actress Spaeny told SFX magazine that while she did her best to convey being horrified during scenes for “Alien: Romulus,” she sometimes had to call in reinforcements to inspire fear.
“You do sort of run out of ideas. You’re like, ‘I don’t know how to be horrified again today in an interesting way. I’ve got, like, three facial expressions and you’ve seen all of them about 100 times now!'” Spaeny said. “Honestly, when you shoot a movie like this for months, and you’re doing so many horror beats, you do run out of ways to be horrified! The whole time I was making the movie, the second I got home I either had a sci-fi or a...
- 8/2/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
![Jersey Shore Family Vacation (2018)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDFmN2JkMjItNjQyZi00ZGJhLTlhNDUtZGUxOTk3OWVjNzk4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxNjUyMDkx._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
![Jersey Shore Family Vacation (2018)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDFmN2JkMjItNjQyZi00ZGJhLTlhNDUtZGUxOTk3OWVjNzk4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxNjUyMDkx._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
Jenni “JWoww” has experienced plenty of fun, romance, drama, and more during her reality TV days.
While she continues to star in MTV’s Jersey Shore: Family Vacation spin-off, many branch out beyond their TV appearances.
That includes Paul DelVecchio, aka DJ Pauly D, who works as a DJ, and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, who has her Shooki Shop in various locations. Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola also offers a line of clothes she promotes.
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino released a memoir, while Angelina Pivarnick recently started podcasting as a side gig, similar to Vinny Guadagnino.
Their castmate JWoww will make her directorial debut with a new horror film this year.
She recently shared the exciting news about her upcoming movie Devon and revealed how fans can see it.
JWoww updates fans about ‘exciting chapter’ in her life with her first horror film
Taking to her Instagram on Thursday, JWoww shared a screenshot...
While she continues to star in MTV’s Jersey Shore: Family Vacation spin-off, many branch out beyond their TV appearances.
That includes Paul DelVecchio, aka DJ Pauly D, who works as a DJ, and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, who has her Shooki Shop in various locations. Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola also offers a line of clothes she promotes.
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino released a memoir, while Angelina Pivarnick recently started podcasting as a side gig, similar to Vinny Guadagnino.
Their castmate JWoww will make her directorial debut with a new horror film this year.
She recently shared the exciting news about her upcoming movie Devon and revealed how fans can see it.
JWoww updates fans about ‘exciting chapter’ in her life with her first horror film
Taking to her Instagram on Thursday, JWoww shared a screenshot...
- 8/1/2024
- by Matt Couden
- Monsters and Critics
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmRmODZjNjctMTBlOS00ZTMxLWFjOWItY2QzYTkzZGE4NjJiXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR10,0,500,281_.jpg)
Once every year or two a movie comes along that brings fresh energy to the found-footage horror movie, a terrain that’s been mercilessly, repetitiously over-tilled since “The Blair Witch Project” broke out a quarter-century ago. Unfortunately, “In Our Blood” does not capture that prize for 2024. Though a notch above the subgenre’s norm in terms of acting and production polish, documentarian Pedro Kos’ first narrative feature — in which two filmmakers investigate mysterious disappearances around Las Cruces, New Mexico — ultimately teases expectations too long en route to an underwhelming resolution.
With overt horror elements delayed until the last 20 minutes or so, the film ends up feeling like an attenuated prologue for a series in the general conceptual (if not budgetary) wheelhouse of “Blade” or “Underworld.” But it’s anyone’s guess whether this Fantasia premiere will spark the kind of enthusiasm that merits a single follow-up, let alone several.
Emily...
With overt horror elements delayed until the last 20 minutes or so, the film ends up feeling like an attenuated prologue for a series in the general conceptual (if not budgetary) wheelhouse of “Blade” or “Underworld.” But it’s anyone’s guess whether this Fantasia premiere will spark the kind of enthusiasm that merits a single follow-up, let alone several.
Emily...
- 8/1/2024
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzc1ZmM1NWItNWMyNS00NGUzLThlOGEtMjUzYTRhNzQxNjZiXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR124,0,500,281_.jpg)
If you poke around the Bloody Disgusting archives you’ll see that we wrote about an indie horror movie titled The Bench way back in 2012, a film that actually began production in 2007. The movie never ended up seeing the light of day… until now, that is.
17 years later, The Bench is available now to rent or buy on Prime Video!
The official press release explains, “In the summer of 2007 a group of emerging filmmakers and actors set out into the Scottish wilderness to make a low budget horror film in homage to the low budget American horror films of the 1970s. The grizzly slasher titled The Bench has never been completed, until now.
“Inspired by Tobe Hooper’s original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), this team of filmmakers led by writer / director Sean Wilkie (Matter of Time) used the HD revolution to their advantage, shooting the film on Hdv tape that lends...
17 years later, The Bench is available now to rent or buy on Prime Video!
The official press release explains, “In the summer of 2007 a group of emerging filmmakers and actors set out into the Scottish wilderness to make a low budget horror film in homage to the low budget American horror films of the 1970s. The grizzly slasher titled The Bench has never been completed, until now.
“Inspired by Tobe Hooper’s original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), this team of filmmakers led by writer / director Sean Wilkie (Matter of Time) used the HD revolution to their advantage, shooting the film on Hdv tape that lends...
- 7/31/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODBlOWRkYzUtOTYwOS00Y2NiLTgwN2EtYzYyNTdhNzNmMDkwXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Over the past couple of years, Abrams Books has been releasing omnibus collections of "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror" comic books, found in "Vol. 1: Scary Tales & Scarier Tentacles" and "Vol. 2: Deadtime Stories for Boos & Ghouls." While some of these issues feature illustrated adaptations of some of the show's best Halloween special segments, more importantly they have original horror and sci-fi inspired comic stories from an outstanding assembly of guest writers and artists. Now, the collection is about to be complete with the third and final volume, "The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Volume 3: Fiendish Fables of Devilish Delicacies," arriving in August. Abrams Books sent us an early copy, and it's a fantastic way to complete the collection.
Abrams Books
Featuring a glow in the dark, die-cut slipcase with artwork sending the Simpsons to hell, with Devil Flanders laughing maniacally,...
Over the past couple of years, Abrams Books has been releasing omnibus collections of "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror" comic books, found in "Vol. 1: Scary Tales & Scarier Tentacles" and "Vol. 2: Deadtime Stories for Boos & Ghouls." While some of these issues feature illustrated adaptations of some of the show's best Halloween special segments, more importantly they have original horror and sci-fi inspired comic stories from an outstanding assembly of guest writers and artists. Now, the collection is about to be complete with the third and final volume, "The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Volume 3: Fiendish Fables of Devilish Delicacies," arriving in August. Abrams Books sent us an early copy, and it's a fantastic way to complete the collection.
Abrams Books
Featuring a glow in the dark, die-cut slipcase with artwork sending the Simpsons to hell, with Devil Flanders laughing maniacally,...
- 7/30/2024
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDMxYmNiZTYtMmE5OC00NGJmLTgwYjItN2M2OWFmN2MyODI3XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Shudder is one of the best streaming services for scary movies. Subscribers can see demonic possessions, gruesome serial killers, psychological terror, and loads of blood and guts. The service is available as a standalone streamer or free with any AMC+ subscription, making it part of a “stealth bundle” that doesn’t get much press. The Washington Post asked Shudder’s curator, Samuel Zimmerman, to come up with his list of the scariest movies ever made. The Streamable is here to tell you how to watch them all.
7-Day Free Trial $6.99+ / month amazon.com Shudder Curator's Scariest Movies Ever The Blair Witch Project July 14, 1999
In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.
Zimmerman says, “Screaming and running into the void. That’s what the movie feels like — Staring into a void.”
Loading… Lake Mungo July 30, 2009
After...
7-Day Free Trial $6.99+ / month amazon.com Shudder Curator's Scariest Movies Ever The Blair Witch Project July 14, 1999
In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.
Zimmerman says, “Screaming and running into the void. That’s what the movie feels like — Staring into a void.”
Loading… Lake Mungo July 30, 2009
After...
- 7/30/2024
- by Ben Bowman
- The Streamable
![Kiss of the Tarantula (1975)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzkzZDE0NjUtZjQ0Ny00Yzg2LWIyNDctM2EwNTA0NGQ0NWNmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
![Kiss of the Tarantula (1975)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzkzZDE0NjUtZjQ0Ny00Yzg2LWIyNDctM2EwNTA0NGQ0NWNmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
Shudder is one of the best streaming services for scary movies. Subscribers can see demonic possessions, gruesome serial killers, psychological terror, and loads of blood and guts. The service is available as a standalone streamer or free with any AMC+ subscription, making it part of a “stealth bundle” that doesn’t get much press. The Washington Post asked Shudder’s curator, Samuel Zimmerman, to come up with his list of the scariest movies ever made. The Streamable is here to tell you how to watch them all.
7-Day Free Trial $6.99+ / month amazon.com Shudder Curator's Scariest Movies Ever The Blair Witch Project July 14, 1999
In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.
Zimmerman says, “Screaming and running into the void. That’s what the movie feels like — Staring into a void.”
Loading… Lake Mungo July 30, 2009
After...
7-Day Free Trial $6.99+ / month amazon.com Shudder Curator's Scariest Movies Ever The Blair Witch Project July 14, 1999
In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.
Zimmerman says, “Screaming and running into the void. That’s what the movie feels like — Staring into a void.”
Loading… Lake Mungo July 30, 2009
After...
- 7/30/2024
- by Ben Bowman
- The Streamable
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDFmMjAwNTktNWQ2Ny00MzY3LWE2NzUtMjEyMzU0NTA0ZjE2XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,25,500,281_.jpg)
Peacock has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the streaming service in August. The Peacock August 2024 schedule includes Mr. Throwback, the Love Island USA Season 6 reunion, Bel-Air Season 3, and the new film The Killer.
For the crime junkies, all seven seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street make their streaming debut on August 19. The fast-paced police drama portrays the brutal detective work of a homicide department in Baltimore.
Additionally, mark your calendar for the action-packed streaming debuts of The Fall Guy and The Fall Guy: The Extended Cut on August 30. The Bikeriders also cruises onto Peacock for its exclusive streaming premiere on August 9, and the magic of the Harry Potter franchise returns to Peacock exclusively all month long.
August Highlights
August 8: Mr. Throwback (Peacock Original)*
August 9: The Bikeriders (Peacock Exclusive)*
August 15: Bel-Air Season 3 – Premiere (Peacock Original)*
August 19:...
For the crime junkies, all seven seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street make their streaming debut on August 19. The fast-paced police drama portrays the brutal detective work of a homicide department in Baltimore.
Additionally, mark your calendar for the action-packed streaming debuts of The Fall Guy and The Fall Guy: The Extended Cut on August 30. The Bikeriders also cruises onto Peacock for its exclusive streaming premiere on August 9, and the magic of the Harry Potter franchise returns to Peacock exclusively all month long.
August Highlights
August 8: Mr. Throwback (Peacock Original)*
August 9: The Bikeriders (Peacock Exclusive)*
August 15: Bel-Air Season 3 – Premiere (Peacock Original)*
August 19:...
- 7/26/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzQ1ZmEzZTEtOGYzMC00ZDFkLWI4NjQtNGU3NTQyZmNjNmI5XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzQ1ZmEzZTEtOGYzMC00ZDFkLWI4NjQtNGU3NTQyZmNjNmI5XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
The Blair Witch Project producer Michael Monello says the upcoming October Blu-ray release of the movie from Second Sight will finally “represent the filmmakers complete vision for the film” after years of sub-par transfers.
“For 25 years, Artisan/Lions Gate have been content to put out a version of this film that is Not how the filmmakers intended it to look, with broken motion and film grain over video,” Monello said. “Now that we have an actual filmmaker and producer approved version coming out, I think I’ve earned the right to dump on a release of the transfer that Artisan did without consulting us. If they want to cash grab dump it in the market I can’t stop them, but I’m not going to shut up about something I worked so hard on being released with a shoddy transfer and the same old extras.“
Monello continued, “It hasn’t been announced yet,...
“For 25 years, Artisan/Lions Gate have been content to put out a version of this film that is Not how the filmmakers intended it to look, with broken motion and film grain over video,” Monello said. “Now that we have an actual filmmaker and producer approved version coming out, I think I’ve earned the right to dump on a release of the transfer that Artisan did without consulting us. If they want to cash grab dump it in the market I can’t stop them, but I’m not going to shut up about something I worked so hard on being released with a shoddy transfer and the same old extras.“
Monello continued, “It hasn’t been announced yet,...
- 7/25/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZWQ2NzJkMWQtOGUwZi00MTUzLWJhMjYtNWY1MWQ3YmRlYzk0XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZWQ2NzJkMWQtOGUwZi00MTUzLWJhMjYtNWY1MWQ3YmRlYzk0XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
Shelby Oaks is the highly anticipated debut film from Chris Stuckmann, the film critic and YouTube sensation who has parlayed his love of genre film into bringing this story of revenge and redemption to the big screen. Promising to tap the font of found footage films from the ‘90s and 2000s,...
- 7/24/2024
- by Jason Gorber
- avclub.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzg3ZmMzYWYtNDVmMC00NzQ3LTk2YTYtNmI2YWJlMDAxZjY0XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,45,500,281_.jpg)
Paramount Pictures is resurrecting the once-popular Scary Movie spoof franchise with a brand new reboot movie that’s expected to slash into theaters in 2025, but can we expect any stars of the original franchise to reprise their roles? Chatting with People this week, Scary Movie mainstay Anna Faris comments on what it would take to bring her back to the franchise.
Anna Faris starred alongside Regina Hall in the first four Scary Movie installments, with Faris playing Cindy Campbell and Hall playing her character’s best friend, Brenda Meeks. And it sounds like Faris doesn’t plan on returning unless Regina Hall is also asked to return.
“I would love to work with Regina [Hall] again. I just love her so much,” Faris answered when the outlet asked her what it would take to get her to sign on. “We would make each other giggle all day long. Regina Hall would be my answer.
Anna Faris starred alongside Regina Hall in the first four Scary Movie installments, with Faris playing Cindy Campbell and Hall playing her character’s best friend, Brenda Meeks. And it sounds like Faris doesn’t plan on returning unless Regina Hall is also asked to return.
“I would love to work with Regina [Hall] again. I just love her so much,” Faris answered when the outlet asked her what it would take to get her to sign on. “We would make each other giggle all day long. Regina Hall would be my answer.
- 7/23/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2MxZDA4Y2MtZWFmOC00ZGFiLTk3YWYtYTNhNjk1N2MyMDE4XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2MxZDA4Y2MtZWFmOC00ZGFiLTk3YWYtYTNhNjk1N2MyMDE4XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
Plot: When Riley (Sarah Durn), a YouTube paranormal investigator, disappears, her older sister, Mia (Camille Sullivan), frantically searches for her.
Review: Of all the films premiering at this year’s edition of the Fantasia Film Festival, very few have piqued the interest of genre fans everywhere, like Shelby Oaks. The feature directorial debut of YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann (who also wrote and co-produced the film), it was recently snapped up for theatrical release by Neon, who are riding high as a genre distributor following the success of Longlegs. Many of his fans are curious whether Stuckmann’s on-camera criticism translates into solid directorial chops.
So what’s the result? Sad to say, the hope that Shelby Oaks would be the next great horror debut was overblown. This is meant as no sleight against Stuckmann who, I must admit, I know next to nothing about. I’ve only seen a handful of his reviews,...
Review: Of all the films premiering at this year’s edition of the Fantasia Film Festival, very few have piqued the interest of genre fans everywhere, like Shelby Oaks. The feature directorial debut of YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann (who also wrote and co-produced the film), it was recently snapped up for theatrical release by Neon, who are riding high as a genre distributor following the success of Longlegs. Many of his fans are curious whether Stuckmann’s on-camera criticism translates into solid directorial chops.
So what’s the result? Sad to say, the hope that Shelby Oaks would be the next great horror debut was overblown. This is meant as no sleight against Stuckmann who, I must admit, I know next to nothing about. I’ve only seen a handful of his reviews,...
- 7/22/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNWMyNGRmODUtMTcwOC00ZGU2LWJiNDUtOTY1MGNjOGQzYmFiXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
The feature film debut of writer/director Chris Stuckmann has a solid, albeit slightly familiar, premise. In 2008, four YouTubers known for a ghost hunting show called ‘Paranormal Paranoids’ go missing near the deserted town of Shelby Oaks, sparking conspiracy theories and suspicions it’s a hoax to increase the channel’s notoriety.
When the bodies of Laura (Caisey Cole), Peter (Anthony Baldasare), and David (Eric Francis Malaragni) are discovered, however, the focus shifts to the fourth member: host Riley (Sarah Durn), whose disappearance prompts nationwide speculation around the question: “Who took Riley Brennan?”
That’s the question that Riley’s older sister Mia (Camille Sullivan) can’t stop thinking about. Twelve long years after the disappearance of her supernaturally gifted sibling, Mia is being interviewed by a documentary team led by Janet (Emily Bennett). It’s something of a hail mary by Mia’s husband Robert (Brendan Sexton III), who...
When the bodies of Laura (Caisey Cole), Peter (Anthony Baldasare), and David (Eric Francis Malaragni) are discovered, however, the focus shifts to the fourth member: host Riley (Sarah Durn), whose disappearance prompts nationwide speculation around the question: “Who took Riley Brennan?”
That’s the question that Riley’s older sister Mia (Camille Sullivan) can’t stop thinking about. Twelve long years after the disappearance of her supernaturally gifted sibling, Mia is being interviewed by a documentary team led by Janet (Emily Bennett). It’s something of a hail mary by Mia’s husband Robert (Brendan Sexton III), who...
- 7/22/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjJlMzc5MDgtN2NmNS00Y2JlLTk0MGEtOWJmYzA4Njg0Yzk2XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR1,0,500,281_.jpg)
There’s been a bit of mystery surrounding Shelby Oaks, the directorial debut of Chris Stuckmann. A YouTuber who got his start reviewing films and has now amassed over two-million subscribers, Stuckmann pursued his goal of becoming a full-fledged filmmaker, got producers to come aboard, and then pulled off the feat of raising nearly $1.4 million via crowdfunding to finance his film. After making Shelby Oaks, he got Mike Flanagan to sign on as executive producer, nabbed a world premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival, and compelled Neon to pick the film up for a wide theatrical release. While he’s not the first person to pull off the transition from YouTube to theaters––you can look to Danny and Michael Philippou’s (aka RackaRacka) breakout success Talk to Me as another example––Stuckmann’s journey to the big screen is about as ideal as a first-time feature filmmaker could ask for.
- 7/22/2024
- by C.J. Prince
- The Film Stage
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODNkOTliNTQtYjc2Mi00ODEzLWEzZmEtZjRmZGQ1ZjdlZjY5XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
The 1999 summer movie season was one for the history books. It saw the release of the first "Star Wars" film in well over a decade, "Austin Powers" went from VHS success to bonafide blockbuster, and an unknown director named M. Night Shyamalan came out of nowhere to deliver the second-highest grossing title of the year. "The Sixth Sense" would've been that year's definitive work of horror, too, had it not been for "The Blair Witch Project." Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez's shoestring-budgeted phenomenon, which premiered just a few weeks before young Haley Joel Osment saw dead people, was inescapable. Heather Donahue's terrified, teary-eyed confession to her camera in the film instantly became a widely-recognized piece of iconography alongside the movie's maddening final shot, both of which would soon be referenced and parodied in virtually equal measure.
By the...
The 1999 summer movie season was one for the history books. It saw the release of the first "Star Wars" film in well over a decade, "Austin Powers" went from VHS success to bonafide blockbuster, and an unknown director named M. Night Shyamalan came out of nowhere to deliver the second-highest grossing title of the year. "The Sixth Sense" would've been that year's definitive work of horror, too, had it not been for "The Blair Witch Project." Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez's shoestring-budgeted phenomenon, which premiered just a few weeks before young Haley Joel Osment saw dead people, was inescapable. Heather Donahue's terrified, teary-eyed confession to her camera in the film instantly became a widely-recognized piece of iconography alongside the movie's maddening final shot, both of which would soon be referenced and parodied in virtually equal measure.
By the...
- 7/21/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjU3MTJmMjEtMWJlMC00NmMxLWIxMDItMGQwOTE2OGVkOGIyXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Ahead of holding the household title of Star Lord, following his appearance in MCU, Chris Pratt had seen his fair share of struggling days. Looking for his big break after dropping out of community college, Pratt starred in his earliest, lesser-known roles in Rae Dawn Chong’s satirical horror short, Cursed: Part III.
Chris Pratt as Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy | Marvel Studios
Well, the story of Chris Pratt’s days as a struggling actor goes somewhat this way, wherein, he had a brief encounter with Rae Dawn Chong, who offered him the role in her movie, only to stuck the completed film in a drawer. Although the film neither helped Pratt in achieving fame nor otherwise, the actor was quite blunt about his first desperate gig, as an actor.
Chris Pratt’s First Acting Gig in Rae Dawn Chong’s Satirical Horror Short
Although Chris Pratt is...
Chris Pratt as Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy | Marvel Studios
Well, the story of Chris Pratt’s days as a struggling actor goes somewhat this way, wherein, he had a brief encounter with Rae Dawn Chong, who offered him the role in her movie, only to stuck the completed film in a drawer. Although the film neither helped Pratt in achieving fame nor otherwise, the actor was quite blunt about his first desperate gig, as an actor.
Chris Pratt’s First Acting Gig in Rae Dawn Chong’s Satirical Horror Short
Although Chris Pratt is...
- 7/18/2024
- by Krittika Mukherjee
- FandomWire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2IwMTBmMTAtODBlMC00YjlmLTkyNTctY2RkMGY1NGMzYzQ4XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Steven Spielberg has had a lot of experience navigating the unchartered paths in Hollywood and going places where no one has ever been before. For the director, his entire career has been about achieving the ultimate creative expression, be it through film, television, or theater.
Steven Spielberg on the sets of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [Credit: Paramount Pictures]
As such, every individual project conceived from the director’s imagination is a masterclass in creative expression. Apart from a couple of films like 1941, Steven Spielberg’s reputation as a genius behind the camera remains unparalleled and unchallenged even 60 years down the line.
Steven Spielberg’s Drama Inspires Al Pacino Series
Steven Spielberg has been the visionary creator of countless projects and ambitious films throughout the past handful of decades. As such, it is hardly possible for a show to exist that is inspired directly from one of his films...
Steven Spielberg on the sets of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [Credit: Paramount Pictures]
As such, every individual project conceived from the director’s imagination is a masterclass in creative expression. Apart from a couple of films like 1941, Steven Spielberg’s reputation as a genius behind the camera remains unparalleled and unchallenged even 60 years down the line.
Steven Spielberg’s Drama Inspires Al Pacino Series
Steven Spielberg has been the visionary creator of countless projects and ambitious films throughout the past handful of decades. As such, it is hardly possible for a show to exist that is inspired directly from one of his films...
- 7/17/2024
- by Diya Majumdar
- FandomWire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2RmNGFkZDYtYjE2Mi00N2M1LWFjZGEtNzA1ZTJiNzI0ZDVhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Neon has acquired the rights to “Shelby Oaks,” a found-footage horror film (think: “The Blair Witch Project”) that is the feature directorial debut of YouTuber Chris Stuckmann.
Stuckmann is known for his movie review YouTube channel that has more than 2 million subscribers, but his debut feature was born with a Kickstarter in 2022. Stuckmann raised $1.39 million in less than a month, the most-funded horror film ever on Kickstarter.
“Shelby Oaks” follows Mia as she frantically searches for her sister Riley, who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her investigative series, “Paranormal Paranoids.” The characters are YouTubers themselves in the mid-aughts who in the course of their investigation discover that there’s a paranormal force that dates back to their childhood.
Neon picked up the worldwide rights to “Shelby Oaks” ahead of its world premiere at the Fantasia Festival this Saturday. Stuckmann has been heavily touting the film on his YouTube channel,...
Stuckmann is known for his movie review YouTube channel that has more than 2 million subscribers, but his debut feature was born with a Kickstarter in 2022. Stuckmann raised $1.39 million in less than a month, the most-funded horror film ever on Kickstarter.
“Shelby Oaks” follows Mia as she frantically searches for her sister Riley, who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her investigative series, “Paranormal Paranoids.” The characters are YouTubers themselves in the mid-aughts who in the course of their investigation discover that there’s a paranormal force that dates back to their childhood.
Neon picked up the worldwide rights to “Shelby Oaks” ahead of its world premiere at the Fantasia Festival this Saturday. Stuckmann has been heavily touting the film on his YouTube channel,...
- 7/16/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTQ2NTVlNDItY2UwNC00YWVhLTkyYjktNTlhY2Q1YWU4YTM0XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Who needs a house of horrors when you can stride alongside Philippe Petit, high above the hustle & bustle of 1970s New York, on a death-defying tightrope walk that’ll make your palms sweat and your head spin? Well, Robert Zemeckis’ 2015 biographical drama, The Walk, led you on a cinematic tightrope where you may find your stomach doing somersaults.
In this vertiginous venture, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit, we were invited to tangibly tread, albeit vicariously, between the iconic Twin Towers, chasing the footsteps of the legendary French high-wire artist. Zemeckis didn’t just let you watch; he placed you on that slender cable in the air, conjuring realism through the big screen that neither Petit’s own memoir nor the gripping documentary could.
Robert Zemeckis’ 2015 biographical drama, The Walk | Sony Pictures Releasing
Viscerally, the director’s objective was accomplished; there were tidings of audience members experiencing nausea, anxiety, or even walking out during screenings.
In this vertiginous venture, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit, we were invited to tangibly tread, albeit vicariously, between the iconic Twin Towers, chasing the footsteps of the legendary French high-wire artist. Zemeckis didn’t just let you watch; he placed you on that slender cable in the air, conjuring realism through the big screen that neither Petit’s own memoir nor the gripping documentary could.
Robert Zemeckis’ 2015 biographical drama, The Walk | Sony Pictures Releasing
Viscerally, the director’s objective was accomplished; there were tidings of audience members experiencing nausea, anxiety, or even walking out during screenings.
- 7/16/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTczYmMyYTctN2MyNC00ZTFkLWI4YzItMDJhYmUwMDY2MzZmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
At one time, Harvey Weinstein was the most influential and powerful Hollywood producer. Through his production company Miramax, various award-winning films were made and every actor/actress wanted to be associated with him. The studio was responsible for Oscar-winning films like Pulp Fiction, The Crying Game, Good Will Hunting, and Shakespeare in Love.
Harvey Weinstein’s company distributed Oscar-winning films such as Good Will Hunting | Miramax Films
The studio was already among other prestige names in Hollywood by the late 90s. The studio supported both commercial films as well as indie filmmakers who were trying to make their name in the industry. However, they passed on the opportunity to distribute a micro-budget horror film The Blair Witch Project in 1999, which went on to become a big commercial success.
Miramax Missed Out On Nabbing One of The Greatest Success Stories in Hollywood
1999’s The Blair Witch Project proved to be a...
Harvey Weinstein’s company distributed Oscar-winning films such as Good Will Hunting | Miramax Films
The studio was already among other prestige names in Hollywood by the late 90s. The studio supported both commercial films as well as indie filmmakers who were trying to make their name in the industry. However, they passed on the opportunity to distribute a micro-budget horror film The Blair Witch Project in 1999, which went on to become a big commercial success.
Miramax Missed Out On Nabbing One of The Greatest Success Stories in Hollywood
1999’s The Blair Witch Project proved to be a...
- 7/15/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjc0ZTI0NzMtMDUzNS00MjRkLWE5NGUtZDU3NWJhMzA1ZWY4XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
The summer of 1999 had big things planned for the supernatural horror genre. In the midst of high-budget blockbuster movies emerged a small Indie movie named The Blair Witch Project. Directed by two University of Central Florida students, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the movie drew inspiration from Steven Spielberg’s 1975 masterpiece Jaws.
Joshua Leonard in The Blair Witch Project (1999) || Artisan Entertainment
Initially many studios dismissed it, considering it a risky venture. However, The Blair Witch project brought in an incredible $248.6 million worldwide, despite having a $60,000 shooting budget. Further, the movie continues to haunt the audience even after 25 years of its release.
How Steven Spielberg’s Jaws inspired The Blair Witch Project
The movie, which tells the tale of three student filmmakers named Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard, was a major factor in polarizing the found-footage horror genre. To document the Blair Witch legend, the three of them head into the Maryland woods.
Joshua Leonard in The Blair Witch Project (1999) || Artisan Entertainment
Initially many studios dismissed it, considering it a risky venture. However, The Blair Witch project brought in an incredible $248.6 million worldwide, despite having a $60,000 shooting budget. Further, the movie continues to haunt the audience even after 25 years of its release.
How Steven Spielberg’s Jaws inspired The Blair Witch Project
The movie, which tells the tale of three student filmmakers named Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard, was a major factor in polarizing the found-footage horror genre. To document the Blair Witch legend, the three of them head into the Maryland woods.
- 7/15/2024
- by Sakshi Singh
- FandomWire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGU5ZTYyMDctMWQ3Ni00NjNmLTk1MTctNzBkYWM4NGQzZGE5XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Back in the late 90s, when the horror genre was ripe for a new kind of terror, student filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez came up with The Blair Witch Project, which shattered conventions and pushed boundaries with its unfiltered portrayal of fear. Starring Heather Donahue in the lead role, the movie made with a mere $60,000 budget quickly became an indie horror masterpiece at its best.
The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Haxan Films
However, although The Blair Witch Project turned into a cult classic, based on its revolutionary found footage format, the film’s grittiness extended beyond the screen. Apparently, lead actress Heather Donahue came with her initial fears including concerns that it might be a snuff film. Considering the director’s lack of prominence and the shoestring budget, Donahue was even advised by friends and family to carry a knife for self-defense.
Heather Donahue was Initially Concerned About the Film...
The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Haxan Films
However, although The Blair Witch Project turned into a cult classic, based on its revolutionary found footage format, the film’s grittiness extended beyond the screen. Apparently, lead actress Heather Donahue came with her initial fears including concerns that it might be a snuff film. Considering the director’s lack of prominence and the shoestring budget, Donahue was even advised by friends and family to carry a knife for self-defense.
Heather Donahue was Initially Concerned About the Film...
- 7/15/2024
- by Krittika Mukherjee
- FandomWire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOGRhYjBkZTctMDUwMy00NTUyLTg1MjUtMjM2NTdkYTc2NDhmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
This weekend was projected to be a breather in between massive openings for “Despicable Me 4” (Universal) and “Twisters” (Universal)/“Deadpool and Wolverine” (Disney) the following two weeks. It sort of worked out that way, but not the way it was expected.
“Longlegs” (Neon) and “Fly Me to the Moon” (Sony) were projected to come in second and third this weekend with a combined $30 million-$35 million. That part happened. But Apple’s rom-com with Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum was expected to take second, perhaps at least $15 million (earlier projections higher), while Oz Perkins’ distinctive horror-thriller starring Nicolas Cage was felt to be $10 million or more.
Instead, “Longlegs” took second with $22.6 million, while “Fly” is initially placed at $10 million (others have it lower), and only in fifth place. Both are striking results.
With a budget including marketing under $10 million, “Longlegs” has grossed more in only one weekend than all but...
“Longlegs” (Neon) and “Fly Me to the Moon” (Sony) were projected to come in second and third this weekend with a combined $30 million-$35 million. That part happened. But Apple’s rom-com with Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum was expected to take second, perhaps at least $15 million (earlier projections higher), while Oz Perkins’ distinctive horror-thriller starring Nicolas Cage was felt to be $10 million or more.
Instead, “Longlegs” took second with $22.6 million, while “Fly” is initially placed at $10 million (others have it lower), and only in fifth place. Both are striking results.
With a budget including marketing under $10 million, “Longlegs” has grossed more in only one weekend than all but...
- 7/14/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
![Maika Monroe in Longlegs (2024)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmVkZWY2ODEtYTMyYy00MDg2LWFkMGUtMjYwOTBhOGViODQzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Maika Monroe in Longlegs (2024)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMmVkZWY2ODEtYTMyYy00MDg2LWFkMGUtMjYwOTBhOGViODQzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
“Longlegs,” an occult-tinged horror mystery about an FBI agent on the trail of a serial killer, opened to a phenomenal $22.6 million, easily outgrossing “Fly Me to the Moon,” a $100 million dollar rom-com featuring two of Hollywood’s brightest stars.
To pull off that upset, “Longlegs” got a lift from some sensational reviews, as well as a creepy performance by Nicolas Cage. The film’s opening weekend results are a record-breaking debut for Neon, the indie distributor that did an outstanding job of generating word-of-mouth for “Longlegs” thanks to a viral marketing campaign. It was one that saw the studio create a “90s-style website” highlighting the gruesome crimes of its antagonist, as well as a phone number that people could call to hear a demented message from Cage. It’s a page right out of the playbooks of previous cult hits like “The Blair Witch Project,” where it worked so well...
To pull off that upset, “Longlegs” got a lift from some sensational reviews, as well as a creepy performance by Nicolas Cage. The film’s opening weekend results are a record-breaking debut for Neon, the indie distributor that did an outstanding job of generating word-of-mouth for “Longlegs” thanks to a viral marketing campaign. It was one that saw the studio create a “90s-style website” highlighting the gruesome crimes of its antagonist, as well as a phone number that people could call to hear a demented message from Cage. It’s a page right out of the playbooks of previous cult hits like “The Blair Witch Project,” where it worked so well...
- 7/14/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzJiODc2MzQtODc2Yy00ODMwLWI1MGItYjAyOTE1MjhjZDczXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR90,0,500,281_.jpg)
Updated, Sunday Am: Illumination/Universal’s Despicable Me 4 won the weekend with $44.6 million, but Neon’s Nicolas Cage-Maika Monroe starrer Longlegs stole the headlines, delivering the best original horror opening year-to-date and the best-ever start for the Tom Quinn-run 7-year old distribution company with $22.6M.
That’s an excellent win for original movies, a much-needed boost for the horror genre, and a big win for the arthouse circuit, which we hear had several sellouts over the weekend with theaters adding showtimes. Overall, per ComScore, it’s the seventh highest-grossing weekend of the year at $129M for all titles.
We told you at the onset of the summer that Longlegs could surprise, with Neon executing a deft marketing campaign with clever clips; overall, a campaign that hid Nicolas Cage. The amazing coup here with Neon is how they racked up a ton of money off a very...
That’s an excellent win for original movies, a much-needed boost for the horror genre, and a big win for the arthouse circuit, which we hear had several sellouts over the weekend with theaters adding showtimes. Overall, per ComScore, it’s the seventh highest-grossing weekend of the year at $129M for all titles.
We told you at the onset of the summer that Longlegs could surprise, with Neon executing a deft marketing campaign with clever clips; overall, a campaign that hid Nicolas Cage. The amazing coup here with Neon is how they racked up a ton of money off a very...
- 7/14/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYmUxMmY4OGEtY2EwZC00YzFkLTlhMWItNzA4NjFhNTIyOTUyXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
"Longlegs" won't need long legs to succeed at the box office. The much-hyped horror movie from director Osgood Perkins is a hit in its opening weekend, where it's on track to gross around $22 million. That's more than double the production budget which, according to indie film studio Neon (via World of Reel), was less than $10 million.
According to The Wrap, early tracking for "Longlegs" indicated a debut of $7-9 million, so it has massively outperformed expectations. Meanwhile, Neon has set two new box office opening weekend records in the same year, first with the Sydney Sweeney-starring "Immaculate" ($5.3 million), and now with "Longlegs." The film stars established horror scream queen Maika Monroe as rookie FBI agent Lee Harker, who is assigned to work on a disturbing case involving a serial killer known only as Longlegs (played by Nicolas Cage).
In addition to the thrifty production budget for "Longlegs," Deadline reports...
According to The Wrap, early tracking for "Longlegs" indicated a debut of $7-9 million, so it has massively outperformed expectations. Meanwhile, Neon has set two new box office opening weekend records in the same year, first with the Sydney Sweeney-starring "Immaculate" ($5.3 million), and now with "Longlegs." The film stars established horror scream queen Maika Monroe as rookie FBI agent Lee Harker, who is assigned to work on a disturbing case involving a serial killer known only as Longlegs (played by Nicolas Cage).
In addition to the thrifty production budget for "Longlegs," Deadline reports...
- 7/13/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjU2YWJjNjktMGU4NS00NDczLWEwZGMtODg5NGFjMDM5NDY1XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
In an unexpected twist that will excite horror film parody fans and nostalgia seekers, Phantom Pain Films has announced the release of the once-lost 1990s parody film The Blair Rabbit Project. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the film will make its debut on Blu-ray and VHS on July 23, available exclusively through the Future Video label on Future-Video.tv. Additionally, theatrical screenings across North America are set to be organised in collaboration with the American Genre Film Archive, with dates to be announced.
Conceived during the opening weekend of the cult classic The Blair Witch Project in 1999, The Blair Rabbit Project was the brainchild of writer and director Kerry Prior, best known for The Revenant. Despite its initial setback and mysterious disappearance from the public eye, the film has managed to secure a dedicated, albeit niche, following through bootleg VHS copies. Reflecting on the film’s tumultuous journey, Prior commented, “Due to...
Conceived during the opening weekend of the cult classic The Blair Witch Project in 1999, The Blair Rabbit Project was the brainchild of writer and director Kerry Prior, best known for The Revenant. Despite its initial setback and mysterious disappearance from the public eye, the film has managed to secure a dedicated, albeit niche, following through bootleg VHS copies. Reflecting on the film’s tumultuous journey, Prior commented, “Due to...
- 7/12/2024
- by Oliver Mitchell
- Love Horror
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjFjMTVmZTEtNDQxOS00YjQ2LWFkMjQtNGUyMTBmYWY0NGRlXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR86,0,500,281_.jpg)
Mysterious are the ways of the Lord, but devious those of His opposite number in “Thine Ears Shall Bleed.” This enterprising first feature from Ben Bigelow recalls “The Witch” in placing another pious pioneer family at the mercy of the elements — and apparent occult forces — during an early chapter of American history. The command of atmospheric tension Robert Eggers demonstrated in his own debut is not much evidenced here, making for a middling supernatural drama that’s never terribly convincing, or scary. Nonetheless, it’s an indie sufficiently polished to attract viewers looking for offbeat genre fare that’s relatively restrained in graphic horror content. It releases to U.S. digital platforms July 9, with the U.K. following on the 15th.
Though time and place go unspecified onscreen, we’re somewhere around the 1860s in Montana locations. Rev. Ezekiel Thatcher (Andrew Hovelson), wife Sarah (Hannah Cabell), daughter Abigail (Lea Zawada...
Though time and place go unspecified onscreen, we’re somewhere around the 1860s in Montana locations. Rev. Ezekiel Thatcher (Andrew Hovelson), wife Sarah (Hannah Cabell), daughter Abigail (Lea Zawada...
- 7/11/2024
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDA4OWYyOGQtZDk5ZS00NTExLTgwOTktNzcyNThmZTdlNWRlXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDA4OWYyOGQtZDk5ZS00NTExLTgwOTktNzcyNThmZTdlNWRlXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
Grab your compass and camcorder because this week on the Nightmare on Film Street Horror Movie Podcast, we’re heading deep into the Pine Barrens with The Last Broadcast (1998)! Your hosts Kimmi & Jon are unraveling the mystery of the Jersey Devil, celebrating a pioneering effort in found footage horror, and unburying a mystery hidden behind the shadow of The Blair Witch Project.
In The Last Broadcast (1998), a small-town public access show takes a terrifying turn (for our benefit) when its hosts set out to capture the elusive Jersey Devil on tape – Live! We’ll dissect the eerie mix of mockumentary style, early internet sleuthing, and the chilling conclusion that makes this flick a must-watch. Plus, we’ll marvel at how Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler made horror history on a shoestring budget.
Tune in as we chat about the film’s innovative storytelling, its impact on the found footage phenomenon,...
In The Last Broadcast (1998), a small-town public access show takes a terrifying turn (for our benefit) when its hosts set out to capture the elusive Jersey Devil on tape – Live! We’ll dissect the eerie mix of mockumentary style, early internet sleuthing, and the chilling conclusion that makes this flick a must-watch. Plus, we’ll marvel at how Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler made horror history on a shoestring budget.
Tune in as we chat about the film’s innovative storytelling, its impact on the found footage phenomenon,...
- 7/11/2024
- by Nightmare on Film Street
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWI4Mzk5NjAtZTA1ZS00NjRiLWFmMDItODE4YjU4NDJhYWZlXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR81,0,500,281_.jpg)
Horror was in a bit of a funk in the late 90s. Then 25 years ago, in July 1999, The Blair Witch Project came along and changed everything.
In a 1996 article published in The Philadelphia Enquirer, film critic Desmond Ryan bemoaned the state of mainstream films. Citing such films as Independence Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser, and that year’s hurricane thrillride Twister, Ryan argued that Hollywood had become more interested in special effects than logic or character.
“It all began,” Ryan wrote, “when Twister’s killer tornadoes sucked up everything in their path – tractors, cows, common sense, continuity, plausibility, and the quaint notion that movies should have characters you care about.”
By the end of the 1990s, the horror genre appeared to have descended into a creative funk of its own. Of the horror films released toward the end of the decade, many of the most high-profile examples were remakes or sequels in somewhat tired franchises.
In a 1996 article published in The Philadelphia Enquirer, film critic Desmond Ryan bemoaned the state of mainstream films. Citing such films as Independence Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser, and that year’s hurricane thrillride Twister, Ryan argued that Hollywood had become more interested in special effects than logic or character.
“It all began,” Ryan wrote, “when Twister’s killer tornadoes sucked up everything in their path – tractors, cows, common sense, continuity, plausibility, and the quaint notion that movies should have characters you care about.”
By the end of the 1990s, the horror genre appeared to have descended into a creative funk of its own. Of the horror films released toward the end of the decade, many of the most high-profile examples were remakes or sequels in somewhat tired franchises.
- 7/11/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNWYzMDkzOGYtZmRjOC00MGNmLTk0ZDQtMTY0ZTg5YThjZTBhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,37,500,281_.jpg)
In October 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkitsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later, their footage was found.
That brief but iconic introductory text and the narrative that followed would captivate millions for decades. When “The Blair Witch Project” hit theaters in summer 1999, moviegoers were enthralled by the ill-fated fictional journey of three would-be documentarians — Heather Donahue (Rei Hance), Josh Leonard (Joshua Leonard), and Mike Williams (Michael Williams) — hunting down the truth behind a local Maryland myth. It was shocking; the analog realism of the then-obscure found footage genre instilled in viewers the sense that what they were witnessing was the last record of a real tragedy. The illusion was made even more palpable thanks to a marketing campaign that embraced the early internet with a rudimentary website, missing persons posters of the characters, and a TV mockumentary companion, “Curse of the Blair Witch,” that preceded the film’s release.
That brief but iconic introductory text and the narrative that followed would captivate millions for decades. When “The Blair Witch Project” hit theaters in summer 1999, moviegoers were enthralled by the ill-fated fictional journey of three would-be documentarians — Heather Donahue (Rei Hance), Josh Leonard (Joshua Leonard), and Mike Williams (Michael Williams) — hunting down the truth behind a local Maryland myth. It was shocking; the analog realism of the then-obscure found footage genre instilled in viewers the sense that what they were witnessing was the last record of a real tragedy. The illusion was made even more palpable thanks to a marketing campaign that embraced the early internet with a rudimentary website, missing persons posters of the characters, and a TV mockumentary companion, “Curse of the Blair Witch,” that preceded the film’s release.
- 7/1/2024
- by Dalvin Aboagye and Conor Rooney
- Indiewire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDM1MDEzNTItY2RjMS00M2RiLWFhMDEtZWFlYThkYmY0YTA3XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
We bet you have seen at least one episode of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s cultish sci-fi series. Indeed, The X-Files is one of the most iconic shows in TV history that left a lasting legacy full of inspiration for sci-fi, thriller and horror filmmakers.
Following investigators of paranormal phenomena, this series is sometimes extremely scary without depicting much gore. That is why this 2016 supernatural horror is claimed to be reminiscent of it, and this underrated gem definitely deserves our attention.
It starts by introducing us to the duo of father-and-son coroners, who are used to seeing mutilated dead bodies. One day they’re recruited to investigate a cadaver of a beautiful young woman, and both her identity and cause of death are unknown.
While trying to examine the body, they begin experiencing supernatural occurrences in the morgue facility, as well as finding bizarre marks on the cadaver.
Without spoiling too much,...
Following investigators of paranormal phenomena, this series is sometimes extremely scary without depicting much gore. That is why this 2016 supernatural horror is claimed to be reminiscent of it, and this underrated gem definitely deserves our attention.
It starts by introducing us to the duo of father-and-son coroners, who are used to seeing mutilated dead bodies. One day they’re recruited to investigate a cadaver of a beautiful young woman, and both her identity and cause of death are unknown.
While trying to examine the body, they begin experiencing supernatural occurrences in the morgue facility, as well as finding bizarre marks on the cadaver.
Without spoiling too much,...
- 6/26/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Ava Raxa)
- STartefacts.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzczZmNlYTMtZDU4MC00NDdhLWFkN2YtNTVkZjZiMTI1ZWUzXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Engulfing audiences in a cinematic world where the line between reality and make-believe become blurred is the stuff movies are made of -- but what happens when the movie becomes so visceral, we start to question its truthfulness?
Horror films in particular can walk that fine line of clever filmmaking and creating an unsettling, nagging feeling that what we're watching is someone's actual terror. Many of these films use the pseudo-documentary/mockumentary style to disarm audiences, conflating a typically non-fiction setup with entirely fictional elements. Meanwhile, others rely on crafty marketing campaigns to stir up curiosity, suspicion, controversy, or all of the above. Whether a movie informs audiences that the story ahead of them is based on true events or the director opts for frenetic handheld camerawork, there are some movies executed so well that movie-goers will debate their authenticity long after the credits roll.
A subgenre that has existed for decades,...
Horror films in particular can walk that fine line of clever filmmaking and creating an unsettling, nagging feeling that what we're watching is someone's actual terror. Many of these films use the pseudo-documentary/mockumentary style to disarm audiences, conflating a typically non-fiction setup with entirely fictional elements. Meanwhile, others rely on crafty marketing campaigns to stir up curiosity, suspicion, controversy, or all of the above. Whether a movie informs audiences that the story ahead of them is based on true events or the director opts for frenetic handheld camerawork, there are some movies executed so well that movie-goers will debate their authenticity long after the credits roll.
A subgenre that has existed for decades,...
- 6/23/2024
- by Rachel Ho
- Slash Film
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDc3OTU0OWYtZDEyMC00NWI3LTgwY2EtNDNkNDZmNzkwOTlkXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Since the 2000s, horror filmmakers have been quick to embrace the pseudo-documentary format, also known as found footage: it can be used to make cheap but very scary films that viewers can easily believe because it seems like everything on screen really happened.
The Blair Witch Project popularized the found footage format and defined its cinematic language for years to come: handheld camera, jittery editing, improvised dialogue, and grounded performances.
At times, it's hard to make out what's happening to the characters in the pitch black and monotonous forest landscapes, but it's that sense of oppressive uncertainty and reportage realism that has made fans of the genre around the world fearful and excited.
But one film took what The Blair Witch Project did to another level – Rec.
What is Rec About?
It all begins when anchorwoman Angela and cameraman Pablo go on a call with a team of firefighters the couple is interviewing.
The Blair Witch Project popularized the found footage format and defined its cinematic language for years to come: handheld camera, jittery editing, improvised dialogue, and grounded performances.
At times, it's hard to make out what's happening to the characters in the pitch black and monotonous forest landscapes, but it's that sense of oppressive uncertainty and reportage realism that has made fans of the genre around the world fearful and excited.
But one film took what The Blair Witch Project did to another level – Rec.
What is Rec About?
It all begins when anchorwoman Angela and cameraman Pablo go on a call with a team of firefighters the couple is interviewing.
- 6/22/2024
- by zoe-wallace@startefacts.com (Zoe Wallace)
- STartefacts.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTMxZjdiMTktOTRmNC00MjJhLThmZjEtNTUzNGMxZTRjNDdhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
I used to simply think there were a lot of exorcist movies. There are, but that doesn’t quite say it. There are so many exorcist movies that starting long ago they began to add up to something larger than the sum of their writhing, low-devil-voice-talking, mottled-gray-skin-with-carved-crucifix parts. When “The Exorcist” came out 50 years ago, it fed into the rise of the new fundamentalist culture. Because the whole thing about “The Exorcist” is that it felt like it was bigger than a movie. It was making an announcement: The devil is here — and if that is so, maybe it means God is here too.
That’s why exorcist movies never went away. They feed our primal ecclesiastical horror nostalgia by feeding something else: our desire to glimpse the devil in the flesh (and maybe God as a bonus). It helped, in a strange way, that the vast majority of exorcist films are B-movie trash.
That’s why exorcist movies never went away. They feed our primal ecclesiastical horror nostalgia by feeding something else: our desire to glimpse the devil in the flesh (and maybe God as a bonus). It helped, in a strange way, that the vast majority of exorcist films are B-movie trash.
- 6/20/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjg5NDdmYTAtNzJkNy00OWQ3LWJiMzgtOTYyM2IyNmZlZGUyXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,22,500,281_.jpg)
In honor of her receiving this year’s AFI Life Achievement Award, Nicole Kidman is being celebrated with a career retrospective at Nashville’s non-profit film center, The Belcourt, starting next week. Having undergone extensive renovations and preservations in 2016, The Belcourt is now one of Nashville’s most beloved homes for the arts, attracting audiences from all over Tennessee and the Southeast region, as well as visitors from across the country and globe. The theater programs over 300 films a year across 4,500 screenings, some of which feature Q&As with filmmakers and scholars.
Born in Hawaii, but raised in Australia, Kidman made her feature acting debut at the age of 16 and has been working steadily ever since. During her speech at the AFI ceremony, Kidman said, “It is a privilege to make films. And glorious to have made films and television with these storytellers who allowed me to run wild and...
Born in Hawaii, but raised in Australia, Kidman made her feature acting debut at the age of 16 and has been working steadily ever since. During her speech at the AFI ceremony, Kidman said, “It is a privilege to make films. And glorious to have made films and television with these storytellers who allowed me to run wild and...
- 6/19/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
![Heather Donahue in The Blair Witch Project (1999)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzQ1NDBlNDItMDAyYS00YTI2LTgwMmYtMzAwMzg4NDFlM2ZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
![Heather Donahue in The Blair Witch Project (1999)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzQ1NDBlNDItMDAyYS00YTI2LTgwMmYtMzAwMzg4NDFlM2ZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
The iconic stars of the 1999 horror sensation, The Blair Witch Project, have finally decided to open up against Lionsgate as plans for a revival of their landmark film move forward. In an in-depth interview with Variety, the trio—Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams—revealed their ongoing struggles with missing out on the monumental profits generated by their pioneering found-footage thriller, which grossed approximately $248 million globally. Despite the film’s overwhelming success, the actors originally signed contracts that precluded them from sharing in the box office returns. Now, they seek compensation and meaningful consultation on future projects that use...
- 6/15/2024
- by Steve Delickson
- TVovermind.com
The original ‘Blair Witch Project’ cast say they each got a fruit basket to commemorate the film earning $100 million at the domestic box office.Joshua Leonard, 48, one of the three actors who starred in the 1999 found-footage horror phenomenon – which made almost $250 million at the global box office on a budget of around $200,000 to $750,000 – recently hit out over their lack of residual payments for the movie in an open letter signed by himself and his former ‘Bwp’ co-stars Rei Hance (also known as Heather Donahue) and Michael Williams to Facebook on 21 April.In a new interview with Variety, the trio of stars have now said Artisan Entertainment, which acquired writer-directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez’s film after its Sundance Film Festival premiere for $1.1 million, sent each of them a fruit basket to commemorate the film earning $100 million at the domestic box office.Rei, 49, said: “That was when it became clear that,...
- 6/15/2024
- by BANG Showbiz Reporter
- Bang Showbiz
![Heather Donahue in The Blair Witch Project (1999)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzQ1NDBlNDItMDAyYS00YTI2LTgwMmYtMzAwMzg4NDFlM2ZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
![Heather Donahue in The Blair Witch Project (1999)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzQ1NDBlNDItMDAyYS00YTI2LTgwMmYtMzAwMzg4NDFlM2ZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
The stars of the cult classic The Blair Witch Project, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams, have been vocal about their ongoing financial struggles despite the monumental success of the film. Although the movie grossed nearly $250 million worldwide, the trio has scarcely seen any of that financial success. Financial Strains Despite a Box Office Hit Since the1999 release of The Blair Witch Project, none of the actors have benefitted substantially from its immense commercial success. Leonard said, My agent asked me what the f**k I was doing, adding, I said, You know that I haven’t made any...
- 6/15/2024
- by Steve Delickson
- TVovermind.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDMzOTI2OWItNDRkMy00ODI2LWE5NjUtYTk4ZTdmYjQwYTFmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
How much money do you need to make a good movie? This question seems to be an eternal one for filmmakers, but at the same time some of them are successful in creating quite inexpensive masterpieces.
Here are 5 low-budget flicks that became big hits, loved by Redditors.
1. The Blair Witch Project - $200,000–750,000 vs $248.6 million
First comes a cultish horror with a budget estimated under $1 million that still managed to rake in more than 200x its cost. The story about college filmmakers on their way to make a movie about a local myth is indeed a must-watch that is worth such a hype.
2. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) - $400,000 vs $46.1 million
You probably didn't know that one of the most iconic coming-of-age comedies was created on a tight budget. The film’s lead, Jon Heder, who portrayed the titular nerdy high-school student, was initially only paid $1,000 for his work on this hit.
3. Clerks (1994) -...
Here are 5 low-budget flicks that became big hits, loved by Redditors.
1. The Blair Witch Project - $200,000–750,000 vs $248.6 million
First comes a cultish horror with a budget estimated under $1 million that still managed to rake in more than 200x its cost. The story about college filmmakers on their way to make a movie about a local myth is indeed a must-watch that is worth such a hype.
2. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) - $400,000 vs $46.1 million
You probably didn't know that one of the most iconic coming-of-age comedies was created on a tight budget. The film’s lead, Jon Heder, who portrayed the titular nerdy high-school student, was initially only paid $1,000 for his work on this hit.
3. Clerks (1994) -...
- 6/14/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Ava Raxa)
- STartefacts.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2E2ODkyZWMtYTNmMi00YjQ5LTg4MGMtYjE1M2VlOWUyMzk4XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,29,500,281_.jpg)
The Blair Witch Project would have broke the internet when it came out, if there was internet back then. The independent horror film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and then began raking in profits in the theaters. Plus, there were VHS sales and all that creepy Blair Witch merch, and then multiple spinoffs and sequels. Ironically, the crew that played dead after the release to ensure the movies’ success, barely saw a dime of those proceeds.
The Blair Witch actors have been embroiled in legal battles with Artisan for off and on for decades. The actors did get paid, but it was literally crumbs compared to what millions of dollars that the film made due to contracts they signed at the beginning of production.
What Happened To The Blair Witch Stars
It’s hard to believe there’s anyone out there who hasn’t seen Blair With Project. But,...
The Blair Witch actors have been embroiled in legal battles with Artisan for off and on for decades. The actors did get paid, but it was literally crumbs compared to what millions of dollars that the film made due to contracts they signed at the beginning of production.
What Happened To The Blair Witch Stars
It’s hard to believe there’s anyone out there who hasn’t seen Blair With Project. But,...
- 6/14/2024
- by Amanda Austin
- Celebrating The Soaps
The Blair Witch Project trio condemns Lionsgate's 'reprehensible' treatment: 'We were being cut out'
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWMzZmY0MTctZmU3OC00Mjk2LWI4MjktNjllODdiOTAzNmVlXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Let’s take a ride in the way-back machine and step out in 1999, when a little independent film called The Blair Witch Project became an iconic film. We won’t argue about whether or not it was the first found footage film, instead stating the indisputable fact that it was the most successful one (not to mention one of the most profitable independent films) of all time.
At the heart of The Blair Witch Project were three unknown actors: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams. It was each of their first films, and none of them expected it to become a massive hit.
The production was unique in that the actors were encouraged to improvise most of their dialogue. There was a screenplay, but it mostly contained the events that were to take place, and there were times when only one of the actors knew what was going to happen next.
At the heart of The Blair Witch Project were three unknown actors: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams. It was each of their first films, and none of them expected it to become a massive hit.
The production was unique in that the actors were encouraged to improvise most of their dialogue. There was a screenplay, but it mostly contained the events that were to take place, and there were times when only one of the actors knew what was going to happen next.
- 6/13/2024
- by Carla Davis
- 1428 Elm
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGU3YWNhZTQtY2NmYi00MDU3LTkwZmMtOTUyNWI4N2Q1YzE4XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
For the trio of actors who almost singlehandedly turned "The Blair Witch Project" into a cultural phenomenon and one of the most terrifying horror films of the last quarter century, what should've been the dream roles of a lifetime have instead turned into a living nightmare.
In the late 1990s, young and up-and-coming performers Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard found themselves joining an extremely low-budget indie production that was then titled "The Black Hills Project." The concept was simple: The three leads would be filming approximately 10 minutes of footage as part of a fictional horror documentary, playing the part of student filmmakers searching for evidence of a local legend known as the Blair Witch, and who vanished without a trace in the Maryland woods. Not only were the three required to sign off on clauses that would allow filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez to use their...
In the late 1990s, young and up-and-coming performers Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard found themselves joining an extremely low-budget indie production that was then titled "The Black Hills Project." The concept was simple: The three leads would be filming approximately 10 minutes of footage as part of a fictional horror documentary, playing the part of student filmmakers searching for evidence of a local legend known as the Blair Witch, and who vanished without a trace in the Maryland woods. Not only were the three required to sign off on clauses that would allow filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez to use their...
- 6/13/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGJhZDI2N2QtMzkwZi00NGRlLTgxZDUtMzk2NTkwYTdmMTI3XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
The Blair Witch Project cast came out against Lionsgate after the announcement of a new reboot at CinemaCon this year. The year also marks the 25th anniversary of the project, and the cast now goes into detail about how they struggled after their massively successful independent film. Haxan Films hired Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard for different roles in 1997.
A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate
The three actors were intimately involved in the film, even learning to operate the camera and the sound recording equipment. Their real names were used in the film, which was not something they agreed to. When the film became a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival, Artisan Entertainment bought the film for $1.1 million.
The Blair Witch Project Cast Struggled Due to The Secrecy of Their Role A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate
Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the directors of the film,...
A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate
The three actors were intimately involved in the film, even learning to operate the camera and the sound recording equipment. Their real names were used in the film, which was not something they agreed to. When the film became a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival, Artisan Entertainment bought the film for $1.1 million.
The Blair Witch Project Cast Struggled Due to The Secrecy of Their Role A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate
Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the directors of the film,...
- 6/13/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzU2ZDMyNjEtMjE3Yy00YzMxLWEzYzQtM2IwOTk1NGJlOWI0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzU2ZDMyNjEtMjE3Yy00YzMxLWEzYzQtM2IwOTk1NGJlOWI0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE0MzQwMjgz._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg)
Back in April, it was announced that Lionsgate and Blumhouse Productions have made a multi-picture pact that will see Blumhouse reimagining horror classics from the Lionsgate library – and the development and production of a new The Blair Witch Project is the first project on that slate. That announcement has inspired the stars of the original film – Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams – to start speaking up about the fact that they have never been properly financially compensated for the roles they played into turning the original film into a massive hit that spawned a franchise.
Made on a budget of $35,000, The Blair Witch Project was purchased by Artisan Entertainment for $1.1 million and went on to earn over $248 million at the worldwide box office when it was released in 1999. Donahue, Leonard, Williams, who used their own names in the film and improvised the dialogue while being paid $500 a week during production,...
Made on a budget of $35,000, The Blair Witch Project was purchased by Artisan Entertainment for $1.1 million and went on to earn over $248 million at the worldwide box office when it was released in 1999. Donahue, Leonard, Williams, who used their own names in the film and improvised the dialogue while being paid $500 a week during production,...
- 6/13/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjAzMzFlMzItZjE2Ni00MzY5LWIwZGYtM2U0NGQ0NzgxOGQxXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,26,500,281_.jpg)
Oscar-nominated 2022 feature “TÁR” made a chilling statement onscreen, but the film appears to have sourced one particular audio clip from an iconic horror movie: “The Blair Witch Project,” directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez.
Heather Donahue said during an interview with Variety that “TÁR” used her final scream from “The Blair Witch Project” for a key scene of its own — and without permission. In “TÁR,” the titular composer Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is running in the woods and hears a startling cry from an unseen woman. According to Donahue, that scream was sampled from the 1999 Lionsgate film “The Blair Witch Project,” heard at the very end of the film as her character appears to die offscreen.
Donahue, who now goes by Rei Hance on social media and elsewhere but is attributed as Donahue in the Variety piece, said she alerted “The Blair Witch Project” distributor Lionsgate to the unauthorized...
Heather Donahue said during an interview with Variety that “TÁR” used her final scream from “The Blair Witch Project” for a key scene of its own — and without permission. In “TÁR,” the titular composer Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is running in the woods and hears a startling cry from an unseen woman. According to Donahue, that scream was sampled from the 1999 Lionsgate film “The Blair Witch Project,” heard at the very end of the film as her character appears to die offscreen.
Donahue, who now goes by Rei Hance on social media and elsewhere but is attributed as Donahue in the Variety piece, said she alerted “The Blair Witch Project” distributor Lionsgate to the unauthorized...
- 6/12/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson and Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmFmMDAzZTMtNjUxMC00NWVhLThkZmYtMmY2YmMxYWVhNjBhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR13,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmFmMDAzZTMtNjUxMC00NWVhLThkZmYtMmY2YmMxYWVhNjBhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR13,0,140,207_.jpg)
In the summer of 1999, Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard were trapped in a strange sort of limbo. “The Blair Witch Project,” their debut feature, had exploded out of the Sundance Film Festival that January to become one of the most influential horror movies of the past 25 years — and, with a $35,000 budget, one of the most profitable independent films ever made. And yet Donahue was still puttering to her temp job in a 1984 Toyota Celica, before it broke down right underneath a billboard with her face on it. Williams’ boss kept asking him why he was still moving furniture in Westchester, N.Y., when he was on the cover of Newsweek. And Leonard found himself serving food to his agent at a catering gig days before he appeared on “The Tonight Show.”
“My agent asked me what the fuck I was doing,” Leonard says. “I said, ‘You know...
“My agent asked me what the fuck I was doing,” Leonard says. “I said, ‘You know...
- 6/12/2024
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWFlZWRkNDgtM2EzNi00NDlmLWE4YTctNmJlMzNlNjMzY2FjXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR10,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWFlZWRkNDgtM2EzNi00NDlmLWE4YTctNmJlMzNlNjMzY2FjXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR10,0,140,207_.jpg)
Stars: Nathan Tymoshuk, Benny Barrett, Ali Daniels, Chari Eckmann, Chelsey Grant, Liam Hage, Stephen Hage, Michael Paul Levin, Arden Michalec | Written by Anthony Cousins, John Karsko | Directed by Anthony Cousins
If you follow my writing in any way, you probably know that The Blair Witch Project is one of my favourite ever movies. Not just horror movies. It was the first horror movie I watched at the cinema and it was probably the first film I really got into in a big way. I bought the books, the t-shirt, read the newspaper articles and followed what I could on the website (I’m not sure I even had the internet at home at the time). So any film that is clearly influenced by the found-footage classic is going to get some love from me.
And Frogman is clearly influenced by The Blair Witch Project. There’s plenty of other stuff...
If you follow my writing in any way, you probably know that The Blair Witch Project is one of my favourite ever movies. Not just horror movies. It was the first horror movie I watched at the cinema and it was probably the first film I really got into in a big way. I bought the books, the t-shirt, read the newspaper articles and followed what I could on the website (I’m not sure I even had the internet at home at the time). So any film that is clearly influenced by the found-footage classic is going to get some love from me.
And Frogman is clearly influenced by The Blair Witch Project. There’s plenty of other stuff...
- 6/12/2024
- by Alain Elliott
- Nerdly
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.